The Ghost In The Night (I Love You, Lily Ford)
by Toes.Of.Twinkle
Summary: What happened to 12 year old Alexia Y-Leah? These words haunt Lilyana Ford after her best friend Lexia dies mysteriously in the middle of the night. However, after many weeks of interviews with many people, it seems like everyone suddenly forgets all about Lexia. But not Lily. Lily will do anything to get Lexia back to her. She won't give up on the love of her life.


**Lexia's POV**

"Lily!" I ran into our house, speeding to the hallway. People (Katie and Oscar and Lilyan) gave me strange looks, but I didn't really care. Swinging Parry's door open, I waved at my sister, who was reading her book for our book report assignment, and then proceeded to the stairway. I ran downstairs and flung myself onto Lilyana, who was lying on her bed, listening to music and reading that historical book she loves so much. "Lily! I'm home!" I nestled my face into her chest.  
Lily jumped a little, and took out her headphones. Laying her book to the side, she started to laugh. "You scared me, Lex,"  
I nodded. "I know I did." I grinned, sitting up. I grabbed her hands and pulled her up with me. "Where were you...? I mean, I told you I was leaving early today so I could get some help from Mrs. Sprindle with math, so why didn't you set your alarm?"  
"I did," Lily said, a hint of regret in her voice. "I just... Wasn't feeling it today. Were you okay with Luigi and Osc'?"  
"Okay, first of all, Oscar keeps ditching class with Katie, and Luigi is completely ignoring me." I said, looking into Lily's strange, faded eyes. "And what do you mean by 'wasn't feeling it today'?" I really hoped Lily hadn't picked up that small depression I'd had the summer before. I couldn't live without her... I couldn't have her fade out of the world... I couldn't have her die. I pushed the thought aside, it was too scary to think about.  
"I just felt a bit sick this morning, but it's all good now." Lily smiled and nodded. "Plus, it's Friday," her smile grew into a grin.  
I nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! We can do whatever we want!" Lily didn't seem sad anymore, so I decided not to worry. "One sec, Lil', I'm gonna change, 'kay?"  
Lily nodded. "I should too. You want the bathroom?"  
I shook my head. "You can take it."  
Lily smiled, nodding, and grabbed some clothes from her dresser. She then walked into the bathroom and closed the door, leaving me to change in our room.  
I walked over to my dresser and started to undress from my sweats and t-shirt. I was forced to put on my extra change of clothes at school after Rory 'accidentally' spilled his soda on me.  
I debated between my blue and yellow dress and my yellow tank with the jean shorts I loved so much for a few minutes, and then just decided to go with the tank top and shorts.  
I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and walked slowly to my mirror. When I looked into it, I saw a demon staring back at me. There were strange scars from who knows where on my cheeks. They were red, and they were shaped like sideways triangles, the top pointed towards my nose, three on each side. And... the worst of all, there were two red, devilish wings sprouting from my back. I could fold them up, but if I wasn't wearing a sweatshirt or jacket, they made my back look like there were two large, bloody gashes in straight lines on either side of my back. I didn't care that I had scars or wings, but I just didn't know why they were there. Both the scars and the wings had appeared the summer before, just out of nowhere. And, why, why did I, of all people, have the red, demon, devilish wings and scars?  
"Lex, no, stop it!" I heard Lily's footsteps behind me. She turned me around and looked into my teary eyes. "Lexia, you're perfect, don't let those stupid things make you think otherwise." She wrapped her arms around me and let me lay my head on her shoulder.  
"I bet you it's Rory's fault, Lilyana..." I said, between my small whimpers and cries.  
"I bet you you're right," Lily replied, stroking my hair reassuringly. "But don't let that jerk bring you down. You're beautiful, and everyone knows it."  
After a while, we found ourselves sitting on the end of Lily's bed, not have spoken a word since Lily told me I was beautiful. I finally spoke up after what seemed like ages of silence.  
"Lily, what would you do if I died?"  
Her eyes went wide and she looked at me in horror. "Lexia, what kind of a question is _that?!_ "  
"A question I'm asking to to answer." I said, smirking a little.  
Lily sighed, her breath shaky. "I guess I would be sad... and cry and stuff."  
"But what would you do?"  
"I guess... I would want to talk to you again... One more time, to tell you how much you mean to me..." Lily's eyes welled up with tears, her face red.  
"I-I'm sorry..." I said. I didn't think this would make Lily so emotional. "We can stop talking about it, okay?"  
Lily nodded, wiping her tears on her sleeve. "Yeah, plus, neither of us are gonna die, so why should we even think about it?"  
"Yeah, you're right." I said. I did think about it though. A lot. What would it be like if Lily died? Would I be sad, or mad, or would I commit suicide? Would I feel guilty or feel like she's still there, and I just had to find her? I wanted to know, but I wouldn't dare kill or have anyone kill Lily to find out.  
"Lily... I..." I started.  
"Hm?"  
"N-Nothing..."  
"You sure?"  
"Yep."  
"Cool."

 **Lilyana's POV**

That night, I kept hearing a lot of tossing and turning from Lexia's bed. I was starting to get worried, so I sat up to look at her. She was turning over and mumbling things in her sleep in her bed, which was on the other end of the room. Suddenly, she spoke louder, and just a bit more clearly, making me jump. I listened to her words.  
"N-No, s-stop!" she was sobbing in her sleep, hiccuping and coughing in between her words.  
"Lexia...!?"  
She didn't seem to hear me, as she kept on talking. "Lily, s-stop! It's m-me, Lexia! A-A-Alexia, your b-best f-f-friend!" she was sobbing hard now, her voice shaky. "LILY! S-STOP!" she hiccuped and cried out, screaming at the top of her lungs.  
"ALEXIA!" I screamed, springing from my bed and running to her bed. I shook her shoulders, but she just wouldn't wake up. "Lex, Lexia, it's okay, you're okay!" I yelled, brushing hair out of her face and pulling her up to my chest. I heard banging on our door, probably from the adults, but I didn't open it. "Lexia... It's okay, you're fine, it's just a nightmare...!"  
Lexia's yelling had faded, but her sobs and hiccups remained. Suddenly, it started to sound like she was choking. She coughed several times, wheezing and gasping for air. "L-Lily..." she coughed, "I... p-p-please... stop... I l-l-lo..." and her voice faded away.  
I heard a loud scream, piercing my ears. It wasn't coming from Lexia though, no, it was from me. I was screaming to the top of my lungs. This wasn't a nightmare, Lexia was dying, somehow, in her sleep.  
"NO! LEXIA! NO!" I screamed, holding her still body close to my chest. "LEXIA, WAKE UP! PLEASE! P-Please... Please wake up... Alexia..."  
And then...  
Lexia gasped for air, shaking violently.  
"L-Lexia... LEXIA!" I screamed, pulling away from her and looking at her face.  
Her eyes opened, and they looked dead and... possessed. She started to pant, looking up at me.  
"L-Lexia... Are you o-okay...?  
Her mouth opened, and she screamed, shoving me off her bed and onto the floor. She was weak, and fell backward off the bed after she pushed me. She got to her feet and ran to the window, trying to pry it open.  
I scrambled to my feet and ran to the poor girl, placing my hand on her shoulder. "L-Lexia, it's okay...!"  
She spun around, her eyes still dead. "GET AWAY FROM ME!" she said, sobbing.  
The pounding on the door got louder. "Lilyana! Lexia! OPEN THE GODD*MMED DOOR! WHAT IS GOING ON?!"  
Neither of us responded.  
Lexia pushed me, resulting to me falling over.  
"Lexia, it's just me! Lilyana! Stop, please!" I said, now bawling myself.  
I didn't get up. I lay there, crying and wailing, my mind hurting like hell. What was happening? What was happing to my best friend, to my Lexia? What had happened to her to make her go crazy, to make her almost suffocate right there in my arms?  
"L-Lex... M-M-My Lex..." I cried out. "WHY LEXIA?! PLEASE COME BACK TO ME! PLEASE!"  
As I turned to my side, shaking, I looked up and saw Lexia smiling softly down at me. Her body was pale and her eyes had turned from the soft green color they once were to a light gray. She lied down next to me, her hand snaking up to my cheek. She gently rubbed my skin with her thumb, still smiling. What was happening...? What happened in the first place?  
And then I smiled back, tears still spilling from my eyes. Lexia's cold hands wrapped around my head, and she pulled me towards her, letting me bury my face in her chest as I cried on.  
Her voice came from what seemed like an angel, soft, kind, loving, and she spoke her last words with happiness and no regret.  
"Thank you, Lily. I love you with all my heart."  
I just wished, as she disappeared from my view, that I could I have talked to her one more time. To tell her how much she meant to me. How much I loved her back.


End file.
